Dear Neighbor,

Dave Hromco reported last Thursday, February 23, the death count was up to 169.  This morning, Friday, March 2, Dave Hromco reported the death count is now at 198. We asked if they would be pursuing the entire targeted number of 300.  He replied -- YES !

Our attorney submitted an Open Public Records request to Greg Miller, Solon's animal control officer, who conducted the deer population count. Never mind that he is on the payroll of the city of Solon and has no qualifications to conduct a count. Greg Miller did not have the guts to respond and sent our attorney a reply saying he had forwarded the request to the proper person.

 

Below are the questions (in blue) regarding the count that were submitted.

a) Dave Hromco's responses are below (in black)  

b) Our Ph.D Wildlife Biologist's analysis is below that (in red).

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1)What methodology are you using?

The methodology that was used in recent deer counts in the City of Solon is a surface count.

That just means it wasn't and aerial count, what "surface"  method was used.

2)Is it random or stratified?

The count was stratified in that the City's Animal Warden sectioned off sections of the City of Solon into about 15 to 20 sections (the actual number has varied depending on the year that it was performed).  Each section is counted individually.  A multiplier has been used in accordance with recommendations.  The multiplier is 1.55.

If the number of sections varies from year to year how are you forming trends in changing areas?  Who recommended the 1.55 mulitper and how was that number arrived at. It increases the count by 55%. Is this a correction factor for deer not counted and if so how do you know what you missed.

3)How do you account for double counting?

To limit double counting as much as possible the deer are counted between 7 AM and 11 AM.  This is a time when the deer are less active and should be in their natural habitat.  However, double counting is a possibility.

Shouldn't you count when deer are most active to give you a truer representation of the density.

4)How do you account for deer coming in and out of the neighborhoods and neighboring cities?

The answer to question 2 applies to this question as well.

5)What percent of the count is this?

 We have not counted or calculated the number of deer that may also immigrate from or emigrate to other neighboring communities.

So Solon is willing to fund at least partially the culling of surrounding communities.

6)What is the standard error and confidence interval for your count?

No standard error or confidence interval has been calculated for these counts

How do you know if there are any statistically significant differences from year to year or any time frame for that matter.

7)What is your formal training of those conducting the counts?

There is no formal training that personnel received.

no comment the response from the town speaks for itself.

 No record of a worksheet for the 2010 count exists in our files.

So they do not keep historical data?

 Please note that counts for 2004 and 2005 were done by aerial survey.  All other counts were performed in accordance with the information in this "e" mail.

 It appears that they are managing for MSY maximum sustanable yeild which means this will be a problem for an indefinite time period. Look the term up on the internet. It is about 1/2 the carrying capacity of the landscape.

The summation here is that Solon has simply rubber stamped the deer mismanagement plan and continue to squander our tax dollars on a failed plan rather than implement long-term, science-based, proven solutions. Experts on non-lethal alternatives contacted councilman Russo, chair of the Safety Committee, but he ignored and rejected them opting to continue to waste money  and endanger the residents. 


Bow hunting will be added to the mix next year. UNLESS, we the residents speak up and stop it.

Please join our Solon bloc of voters. 
Go to www.lohv-ohio.org and click on join us.

While modern technology marches on in all other aspects of life why does Solon still manage wildlife as we did in the horse and buggy days. Ask them why, when modern technology offers many non-lethal alternatives, they are choosing mass slaughter. Science calls into question the efficacy, ethics and economics of killing hundreds of deer. In spite of science proving clear futility and counter-productiveness  Solon decision makers continue to thwart contemporary solutions and conservation biology practices.

Thank you for your continued kindness and support.

SolonDeer.com

For City Contact Info click here and for media contact info click here.

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Solon Animal Laws

Solon has both laws to protect animals and to protect its deer killing program.

Just because an animal killing program exists doesn't mean that anyone can take matters into their own hands and kill deer or any other animal like coyotes too.

Section 618.12 and 618.20 clearly prevent anyone from hunting or setting traps in the city.  Section 618.04 prevents any poisoning of animals.

Section 618.125 authorizes an exception to 618.12 for the purpose of controlled killing of deer by city authorized personnel, which of course does not include residents who don't like deer.

Sections 618.126 and 127 criminalize residents who don't agree with the deer killing program.  The first one makes it a crime to interfere with a culling activity and the second makes it a crime to feed deer.

Some deer activists have attempted to document the killing process and have been accused of other crimes like criminal trespass.

The police can be very aggressive in interpreting and enforcing laws against residents who disagree with the deer killing program.  The police chief insists that anyone caught taking things into their own hands will be investigated and prosecuted.  Anyone caught poaching can be turned in for an award, find details here.

Solon laws can be found here. Section 618 deals with animals. A summary can be seen below.

Solon Animal Laws

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SOLON CITY LEADERS LEGACY

We're cruel and benighted and proud of it!

Discarding logic, compassion and justice for the sake of some ornamental bushes, bloodlust and expediency.

  

                                                            

                                                   CURRENT BODY COUNT:

                                                              146

How long will we continue allowing Solon's elected officials (who are public servants in fact) to persist in squandering public dollars to satiate their obscene blood-lust, slaughtering innocent, semi-tame deer in a blood-drenched, deeply depraved annual canned hunt?

How long will we continue to swallow their lies, distortions and perversions of the truth, as they insist that the gun and hunting lobby-driven mantra that killing is the ONLY means of managing human-caused white-tailed deer over-populations is the Gospel truth?

How long will we swallow the lie that slaughtering sentient beings is somehow “humane,” despite the facts that we humans caused the overpopulation of deer and that there are many alternatives to killing?

Please be sure to join our Solon voting bloc. Go to www.lohv-ohio.org and click on join us.

Email our elected officials to voice your opposition.

Please continue to spread the word to everyone.

Thank you,

Solon Deer.com

For City Contact Info click here and for media contact info click here.

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Join LOHV

Dear Neighbor,

On January 23, 2012, the Solon deer slaughter will continue. The notorious USDA Wildlife Services (WS) will be shooting deer lured to bait. Solon is now known as the city who kills it's wildlife.  It is a town of politics without principle and science without humanity.

Solon leaders are once again dragging the reputation of the city of Solon into the gutter. USDA Wildlife Services litters the American landscape with deadly poisons and traps and often kills pets and endangered species. Between 2002-2006 Wildlife Services failed numerous federal audits. WS aerially shoots wolves and coyotes and their gunning program has caused ten human fatalities and 28 injuries. They are known to be environmentally abusive and unethical. No wonder WS likes to stay under the radar.

They spend over 100 million annually to kill more than one million animals. Americans foot the bill for this ineffective, wasteful, ecologically unsound and unethically indefensible agency. The Obama administration recently proposed a ten million dollar budget cut for USDA Wildlife Services. Costly and inhumane killing of our wildlife are wastes of tax dollars. And remember, if they aren't killing animals they aren't being paid.

Wildlife Services war on wildlife knows no bounds! 

Not only do we need to get the federal government out of the wildlife exterminating business but out of Solon. An Open Public Records request in 2006 reveals a letter from USDA Wildlife Services to  Dave Hromco, wanting in on the deer killing gravy train. They asked to kill 300 deer, the same number targeted now. They have been waiting in the wings for this day.

From our friends in Solebury, PA whose town was invaded by WS to kill deer :
By Freda R. Savana -- The Intelligencer. An update on the deer culling operation Tuesday night angered about a dozen property owners who argued trapping the animals is inhumane and should be stopped. Dave Dubnanskui said, "a trap on a property there has upset passers-by who have seen a deer suffering in the small, fenced-in area. Deborah Ongara said she and her dog walked by the trap and witnessed the deer thrashing and screaming.

Reported in Mt. Lebanon, PA, where WS killed deer:
They have killed over 200 plus deer in two years. Just about every deer in our community. They shoot everything - does, fawns and bucks. They have been given permission to override all safety buffer zones, and shoot rifles in our small parks which are less than 100 yards wide, and surrounded by homes. They also shoot without notice to residents in the community.

From a 2008 news report in Mt. Lebanon, PA: When Micha Wolf walked out his front door to head to work March 7, he was saddened to see a dead deer lying in his Lindendale Dr. yard. There was a good size pool of blood about half a foot from his house. An interview with Mt. Lebanon residents revealed this. There is a conflict between USDA, Wildlife Services and the PA Game Commission, because the hunters don't want the USDA to kill all of "their" semi-tame deer. The USDA needs the PGC's approval to shoot deer in the suburbs, and to override safety ordinances. So typically the local government (councils), the USDA WS, and the PGC  (Ohio Division of Natural Resources) will allow the WS to come in if the local government will commit to letting bowhunters come in the following years.

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?
Next year Solon intends on bringing in the bowhunters.

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Over 3,000 residents voted NO to the continued bloodbath in our backyards. Though we were defeated at the polls we will not be deterred and we will not give up.

Remember, it is the job of council members to represent their constituents. Have they done that? They work for you. You voted them in and you can vote them out. The only Solon councilman to vote NO to the continued, senseless, cruel, deer slaughter was Rob Pelunis. The League of Humane Voters and Solon Deer commend him for his leadership, courage, conscience, ethics, and for holding the city of Solon to higher standards.

Animal advocacy translates into votes -- the only language politicians understand. They pay attention to groups like the League of Humane Voters (LOHV), because they know that our numbers translate into votes for them - or for their opponents. And when they're aware of our presence and our voting bloc they make what matters to us matter in Solon.

You can help the deer simply by joining our voting bloc. If you do nothing else to help stop the slaughter please make sure to register with LOHV's Solon voting bloc. You will show every council member and Mayor Drucker who is not interested in stopping the deer kill that they will not get your vote!
You will show that supporters for the deer are a landslide voting bloc and together we will demand fair representation in Solon.

Please  take one minute to join our voting bloc today. Vist www.lohv-ohio.org and click on Join us now. 

Thank you for your continued support,

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Council Action on Jan 17

The agenda for the rescheduled council meeting was published and contains the following items both on the consent agenda which means there will be little more than announcement of these items and they will be passed as an emergency under suspension.

22. Ordinance authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with David Hromco to coordinate and oversee the 2012 Deer Management Program

23. Ordinance accepting the bid of Smokin-T for meat processing services related to the City’s Deer Management Program ($4.99/5-pound package)

UPDATED:

These items occurred about 40 min into the meeting.  David Hromco will be contracted for up to 150 hours, will receive a city cell phone and a city vehicle.  The meat processing bid is for 3 years.

At 46:20 into the meeting a citizen objected to the deer culling and to them being on the consent agenda.

After the citizen spoke the council round table occurred where each councilman gave condolences to a former councilman and wishing Jim Stanek well in his retirement.

The Mayor mentioned that Stanek was at city hall for 2 weeks after his retirement and that he will be getting a new job as he is only 51.  He had over 30 years at city hall and will be collecting a pubic employee retirement.

Stanek was likely to attend so everyone can wish him well and applaud his accomplishments. This isn't formally on the agenda, but it is common practice. It was expected by city officials but he did not come.


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Driver Education Reduces DVAs

Here's a press release from the Mayor of Rochester Hills describing how their driver education program has significantly reduced DVAs.

In Solon, our so called "comprehensive" plan makes no effort to use this type of low cost non-lethal approach. The only public "education" program revolves around justifying the killing program (counting deer, DVAs, and deer damage complaints).

DeerMotoristAccidentsDecrease_RochHills_2011

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How Many?

We hear there are "too many" deer, how many is too many?  The city pretends to know, but the truth is they do not know by their own admission!  They moved forward with the USDA contract to spend $128K to kill 400-500 deer (Aug 15 Council) and admitted on the record that they DID NOT have a deer count, just an estimated projection of about 1000 (they cancelled the aerial survey in March that the new Deer Mgt Plan requires).

The main justification for the killing is DVAs. Russo asked the police chief what the DVA count was, he admitted that he hadn't looked since May.  But that didn't stop the city from moving forward not only with the USDA contract but the Deer Mgt Plan that requires them to have annual deer counts and DVA counts.

The Deer Mgt Plan claims the city goal is 206-309 (final revision pg 11), so the city's goal is to kill 700-800 deer.  If the USDA killed 400, then bow hunting would need to kill as many as another 400.  If the USDA killed 500, bow hunters would have to kill at least 200.

The $128K only includes sharpshooting, it doesn't include support costs (considerable support issues, see USDA post), police overtime, and processing costs for sharpshooting.  And while the city won't be paying the bow hunters, it won't be free!  There will be costs to administer the program, to test the hunters, to insure compliance, record keeping, and of course more police overtime.

So maybe the real question isn't how many deer are too many, but how can the city commit this much money  when no numbers are really known?  You have a chance to decide by voting YES on Issue 94!

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